Marysville man kills self on side of highway

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A Marysville man reportedly killed himself with a shotgun while parked on the side of Highway 20 Sunday night, in full view of vehicles passing by.

A witness told Nevada County Sheriff’s deputies he was driving eastbound on the highway near Cattle Drive and saw a blue Toyota four-door car parked on the side of the road just before 6 p.m., said Sheriff Keith Royal.

As the man was passing the parked vehicle, he saw a “plume of smoke” and “blood spray” from the car.

“He thought it was a Halloween joke,” Royal said, adding that the man turned around and returned to park behind the vehicle to investigate further.

The man reportedly found the man, identified as Dale Johnson, 55, dead from a shotgun wound to the head. Johnson shot himself with a .30-06 rifle, Royal said.

About a half-hour earlier, a CHP officer had pulled over to check on Johnson, and asked him over his loudspeaker if he needed assistance, Royal said. The man reportedly gave the officer a thumbs-up at that time.